Xbox Factor blamed for action film decline

The rising popularity of chick-flicks at the cinema has been blamed on what movie execs have dubbed the ‘Xbox Factor'.

An increasing number of men and boys are shunning a night out at the movies for in favour of a night at home in front of the console, The Telegraph reports. The net result is an unexpected surge in the success of female-orientated pictures – or chick-flicks as they're more often called.

The newspaper cites Warner Bros' recent release Valentine's Day as an example. The film has been universally slammed by critics (averaging just 34 on Metacritic) yet shot straight to the top of the US box office last week, making over $56m in the process.

A lot of young males are spending much more time on the internet, games and UFC,” Mandalay Pictures chairman Peter Guber stated.

They have not abandoned movies but they have diminished as a target, while the female audience has remained robust.”

The Daily Beast's Nicole Laporte added: For as long as anyone can remember, it's been taken as a given that the movie industry's holy grail is 13-year-old boys. But the jaw-dropping success of films such as Twilight, High School Musical, and now, Dear John are proving that these days, it's girls who rule the entertainment industry.

”The movies may be alternately cheesy and sappy, and the scripts laughable, but teen and tween girls don't care.”